papas con chorizo/chouriço

papas con chouriço

I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately. Usually, when this happens, I wind up cooking since so much of my childhood memories are filled with the home-cooked goodness of my mom’s kitchen.

So, last week went to our nearby grocery store to find chorizo to make one of my favorite dishes, papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo). One of the things I love about our neighborhood is that so many immigrants have made their homes in the Boston area so it’s usually very easy to find foods from all over the world. In particular, folks from Portuguese speaking countries (Portugal, Brazil and Cape Verde) have immigrated and remained here in large numbers. In fact, the second most commonly spoken language in the entire state of Massachusetts is Portuguese and not Spanish like every other place I’ve lived.

Naturally, I found chorizo, but it wasn’t the Spanish or Mexican variety that I’m used to. Instead, it was the Portuguese version of this delectable  pork sausage–chouriço. I thought I’d give it a go and try to make papas con chorizo chouriço I knew this simple (but delicious) breakfast food wouldn’t be like mom’s, but I had to try it.

The results were surprising. First, the consistency of chouriço is much tougher than the mexican version. Also, Portuguese chouriço is far less oily than it’s fatty Mexican cousin. The Portuguese chouriço has a much stronger smokey flavor, while the Mexican chorizo has a bit more of a chile kick to it. I like the flavor of the Portuguese chouriço with potatoes, but it’s not the same as the drippy, fatty stuff of my childhood. Still, this newfangled culinary mixed breed has done the trick and satiated my taste for home, for now.

I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately. Usually, when this happens I wind up cooking since so much of my childhood memories are filled with the home-cooked goodness of my mom’s kitchen.

So, last week I went to our nearby grocery store to find chorizo to make one of my favorite dishes, papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo). One of the things I love about our neighborhood is that so many immigrants have made their homes in the Boston area so it’s usually very easy to find foods from all over the world. In particular, folks from Portuguese speaking countries (Portugal, Brazil and Cape Verde) have immigrated and remained here in large numbers. In fact, the second most commonly spoken language in the entire state of Massachusetts is Portuguese and not Spanish like every other place I’ve lived.

Naturally, I found chorizo, but it wasn’t the Spanish or Mexican variety that I’m used to. Instead, it was the Portuguese version of this delectable  pork sausage–chouriço. I thought I’d give it a go and try to make papas con chorizo chouriço. I knew this simple (but delicious) breakfast food wouldn’t be like mom’s, but I had to try it.

The results were surprising. First, the consistency of chouriço is much tougher than the mexican version. Also, Portuguese chouriço is far less oily than it’s fatty Mexican cousin. The Portuguese chouriço has a much stronger smokey flavor, while the Mexican chorizo has a bit more of a chile kick to it. I like the flavor of the Portuguese chouriço with potatoes, but it’s not the same as the mushy, fatty stuff of my childhood. Still, this newfangled culinary mixed breed has done the trick and satiated my taste for home, for now.

Here’s a photo of the version I’m used to along with a link to a site that has a good recipe for papas con chorizo tacos.

papas con chorizo recipe courtesy of taste of home.com

graduation 2009

It’s hard to believe that graduation was just a week ago today. It’s harder still to believe that the program is over. The year flew by quickly thanks to great teachers, interesting classes and, more than anything else, a star-studded group of classmates. I’m thankful to have been a part of such a talented lot and I hope to keep in touch with many of these good people for years to come. I’m glad the future of higher education is left to these able hands, agile minds and compassionate hearts.

In addition to celebrating with friends, I was fortunate to have 6 family members in town for the festivities.

eddie, nick and eric

My two brothers flew in from Austin and traded in their comfortable beds for our hard floor to see their older brother graduate. This, I think, is significant, since they both love their sleep. It also isn’t insignificant to say that they are still the two “things” I miss most about Austin. Smart, easy-going, and funny, Eric and Nick always make me happy when they’re around. I thank them both for being great brothers and good friends in spite of whatever childhood torture they may have endured by me.

eddie and maggie

My 80+ year old Great Aunt Maggie made her first trip to Boston to see her nephew graduate. She and her late husband, Uncle Bob, were always there for my brothers and me. Aunt Maggie remains the most positive, cheerful, and vital person I know. At 83, Aunt Maggie gave most of us youngsters a run for our money by easily traversing the uneven streets of Cambridge in heels! I’m glad that she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and, I’m delighted to have her in my life.

carlos and eddie

My cousin Carlos and his two sisters have always been some of our closest (and coolest) cousins. That Carlos took time out from his busy schedule designing space treadmills in Houston is a big deal. As kids, we would read our grandpa Carlos’s National Geographics. He’d look at photos from space and I’d look at images of people in far away places. In some ways, we’re still doing a version of that. As Carlos looked up to space, I looked up to him. And, I still look up to him now.

eddie sr, eddie jr and sylvia

Mom and Dad have always provided Eric, Nick and me with their complete love and support. Dad has always instilled his unparalleled sense of justice and healthy skepticism in authority, while mom has always been the paragon of compassion and commitment to caring for others. If my brothers and I have taken just a tiny bit of these virtues from our parents, we’ll be in good shape. Beyond this, mom and dad are funny–they’ve taught us to laugh, and it was good to laugh with them all again this past week. I’m lucky to have them as parents, and I was happy to have them here last week.

ingrid and eddie

And finally, my wife Ingrid played hostess to this motley crew of Texans. She was gracious and composed, thoughtful and cheerful as always. She made the week go by without a hitch. Even in the face of  5 boys (and I include myself in this lot) living in her apartment, she kept her sincere smile. All of our guests, male and female, made a point of reminding me to thank my wife for her hospitality. And so, Thank you Ingrid for you hospitality, love and everything else.

El Paso

El Paso at Night by Satxvike

This stunning photo of downtown El Paso was taken by a fellow El Pasoan who goes by the name Satxvike on Flickr. He has many other great photos on flickr and his profile pic is Shemp Howard so, in my book, he’s a man of fine taste.

I was born and raised in that city, and although I haven’t lived there for over thirteen years, I still consider it home. Lately, El Paso has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. CNN newsman Anderson Cooper spent a couple days there last week reporting on the drug-related violence along the US-Mexico Border. Most of Cooper’s coverage focused on the drug-trade, kidnappings, and, “how the violence threatens America.” The violence in Mexico is real and important, but there is more to El Paso than drugs and guns.

I’m glad some attention is being paid to these darker issues,  but it’s important to note that El Paso has more to offer than wicked tales of mass graves sites and beheaded police officials. In spite of the mayhem across the Rio Grande, El Paso itself remains one of the safest cities of its size in the US, and El Pasoans are amongst the most hospitable and generous folks I know.

Here are a few stories that don’t involve drug-related violence and will hopefully shed light on some of the brighter aspects of the Sun City.

Jem Ministries is a project started in 1996 by Jesus and Maria Ruiz. They have spent the last 13 years feeding thousands of poor children in Juarez. The Ruiz’s regularly make trips across the border into Juarez to make donations to the many poor children of that city. The Ruiz family was honored by CNN in 2008, and recently the family was the subject of an ABC Home Makeover.

Vanity Fair’s Andi Teran (another former El Pasoan) recently wrote a fascinating article on the budding music scene out in our west Texan town. Andi suggests that musicians have embraced El Paso’s “live and let live” attitude and made the city their home. Or, if not their home, at least a place to make and play their music. Everyone from Ministry’s Al Jourgensen to the Clash’s Paul Simonon, Conor Oberst, Beck, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Tom Waits have played/recorded/lived in El Paso, or in nearby Tornillo where Tony Rancich’s Sonic Ranch has been a comfy home to musicians for years.

Last year, my brothers and I made a trip back home to see Tom Waits. We were surprised and excited that he selected the Plaza Theater for one of the sites of his Glitter and Doom Tour. The show was a blast and local music writer, Doug Pullen had a one of the best post-show reviews. Pullen has a good take on the Vanity Fair Article too. He mentions some of the earlier musical heroes like the Bobby Fuller Four and HR of Bad Brains that Teran missed in her piece. Doug’s blog is a good one that I read often. It’s worth a look, here.

Finally, a post about El Paso, would not be complete without a note about food. Needless to say, I could (and probably will) go on forever about this topic. But, for now, I’ll make a mention of a few of the better places to eat in El Paso. Of course, the first place I go for soulful cooking is my mom’s house. Beyond mom’s cooking, Kiki’s is my favorite place for Tacos and Mexican food in general. The taco place most people mention is Chico’s. I was never a huge fan, but it seems inappropriate to have a post about food and not mention them. They have a facebook profile and even have a wikipedia entry. If I’m going to have fast-food tacos in El Paso, I much prefer El Taco Tote or Tacos de Don Ben (Ben’s Tacos doesn’t have a website, but I think they should). For steak, there is no place better than Cattleman’s at the Indian Cliff’s Ranch in nearby Fabens, Texas.